Happy Thanksgiving! As one who did not grow up in the US, Thanksgiving is now one of my favorite holidays. I enjoy it so much more now that I have kids, and we are trying to build our own family identity and traditions. It has been a ton of fun for me as I am learning how to make traditional Thanksgiving meals from scratch and putting my own little spin on a few of the dishes. One of the easiest places to start has been on the cranberry sauce.
I’ll be honest and say that I really could not understand cranberry sauce as a Thanksgiving side dish. I had it a few times from the can, and was honestly not a fan at all! I concluded that it just was not for me, and was ready to disqualify it completely as a side for our turkey. Then about 3 years ago, I decided to try making it at home from scratch, and we have never looked back. Canned cranberry sauce is officially banned from my house. The difference is staggering, yet it takes such little effort to prepare. The best part is that you can make it up to 2 days in advance. That’s one less thing to worry about on Turkey day!
From my family to yours, I wish you a very happy Thanksgiving. May we remember to take time to reflect on the many blessings that have been bestowed on us.
- 1 (12-ounce) bag fresh cranberries, rinsed
- zest of 1 orange
- 1 cup fresh orange juice (about 5 oranges)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 stick cinnamon (or ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon)
- Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, and reduce heat to medium.
- Stirring occasionally, cook until the cranberries start to soften, and the skin on them starts to pop. This takes about 8-10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Weekly reflection.
As we count our blessings during this Thanksgiving season, here are a few verses to reflect on.
Psalm 106:1 Praise the Lord! Thank the Lord because he is good. His love endures forever.
Isaiah 12:4 At this time you will say “praise the Lord and worship him. Tell everyone what he has done and how great he is”.